(introduction, part one: the doctor)

His name is Noah Puckerman. He is a policeman for Lima Police Department, and he is tough, blunt, and worried. He has been working for the force since he was old enough to, and takes his job very seriously. He has dealt with several drunk drivers, including Lucas Evans, the boy responsible for the death of Julie Hudson. He lets us in during some down time in the town, which is a nice break for him, we think. There are stress lines on his forehead, but laugh lines in the corner of his eyes, which makes us smile a little. We think it’s nice a man in his position still has reason to smile. He sits down, running his fingers through his short hair, and glances at us to start. We give him a question, one that has been asked by many kids to us several times: ‘do you tell the drunk driving stories to the kids as scare tactics?’

“It’s not a scare tactic. I hate talking to high school kids, because they think ‘oh, this guy’s just here to get paid, he’s only angry because he’s trying to be scary.’ But I’m angry because they don’t understand. They don’t understand what it’s like to have to peel someone off the ground, someone young, with potential; they don’t understand what it’s like to have to know that some kid’s going to ruin his life because he was stupid. I’m not angry to be scary. I’m angry because I have to live with the nightmares of dead kids, and they could have stopped it. I don’t think they really understand. I mean, I can find examples and real-life situations and pull people up who have been affected and none of it will go through their heads. They just sit there, laughing or texting, and you know, I know what it was like at their age. I get it. They think I’m just talking to talk. It’s frustrating and sometimes I wish I could just give up and not worry about it. But…there’s always the hope that some kid will listen. And if I can save at least one kid, I’ve done something, right?”